A TOURIST was slapped with a fine while he was fighting for his life in the hospital after getting hit by an e-bike.
The American traveller from Arizona had a near-fatal accident in Sydney which left him in a coma for two weeks.
.An American tourist fought for his life after getting hit by an e-bike in Sydney[/caption]
.The man was served a £45 fine while he was still in a coma in the hospital[/caption]
Rod Maroney, 64, was crossing the light rail tracks last September when he was sent flying by an e-bike which wasn’t allowed on the road.
After undergoing an emergency brain surgery and spending two weeks in a coma, the victim is still struggling to recover.
His distraught wife Barbara Maroney, 61, remained at her husband’s side as the couple tried to figure out how their ideal vacation had become such a nightmare.
While her spouse was recuperating in St. Vincent’s hospital, she was taken aback to see that NSW police had placed a £45 fine in her Airbnb‘s letterbox.
Despite the e-bike illegally driving on the rail tracks, the man was hit with a fine for “moving into rider’s path”.
Being a semi-retired lawyer herself, Barbara made the decision to seek legal assistance from an attorney who challenged the fine and consequently removed it.
“Him serving me while my husband is in the hospital in a coma was outrageous,” she told 9News.
“In the US, that would not be good service of process because my husband never lived at the Airbnb.
“If he really wanted to serve the citation, he should’ve gone to the hospital and dropped it in my husband’s unconscious lap, I guess.”
According to the NSW Police, the cyclist got away with just a fine for “disobeying a no entry sign” and didn’t appear injured.
The couple – that were together for 40 years- were at the beginning of their “bucket list” journey when the horrifying incident changed their lives forever.
The pair were crossing the road on their way back to the Hilton Hotel where they were staying.
They weren’t expecting any vehicles to come their way as the street is meant to be traffic-free apart from the light rail.
“Right before the bike hit him, I hear the biker yell ‘Hey!’” she said.
“I will never forget seeing the collision, and seeing Rod flying through the air.”
Barbara’s husband was knocked unconscious and rushed to the hospital.
The 64-year-old spent seven weeks in the hospital before he was given a green light to return home accompanied by two nurses in November.
Maroney was never the same post-accident with his memories erased and vision impaired.
The man awoke to find out he had lost his short-term memory and reverted to the past.
“We shed a lot of tears at night together, both of us grieving for our loss of the man he was,” Barbara said.
Maroney – a retired aerospace engineer- is now unable to comprehend complex sentences, can’t drive and and has been left with a bulge on the side of his head.
“He would call the nurses and doctors by the names of people he used to work with,” Barbara said.
“He would ask them when they were going to have their part of the airplane project done.”
The devastated spouse now wants the authorities to crack down on e-bikes in Sydney.
“Why is Sydney’s council allowing silent, deadly bikes?” she said.
“Given the speed of the bike, Rod could have been killed.
“Why are e-bikes not regulated like vehicles?”
The doctors are unsure of how much better Maroney can get.
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